Join our Community
Support ToI and remove all ads
Learn more

ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 618

Hebrew language

A boy looks at shipping containers in Haifa's port , Israel, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
April 15, 2025, 2:03 pm
Daily Briefing Apr. 15: Day 557 – Tariffs, a tech brain drain and manna from Sicily
Tech editor Sharon Wrobel discusses US tariffs and the war’s effect on the tech industry; archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin reviews the evolution of Hebrew accents, plus manna in Italy
By Jessica Steinberg, Sharon Wrobel and Rossella Tercatin
Dr. Doron Yaakov, head of the Jewish Oral Traditions collection at the Academy of Hebrew Language and researcher at the Historical Dictionary Project, at the Cultural and Educational Center on March 24, 2025. (Rossella Tercatin/Times of Israel)
April 15, 2025, 7:18 am
Research center works to save myriad Hebrew dialects shaped by millennia of wandering
Israel’s Academy of the Hebrew Language has been preserving a treasure trove of accents and pronunciations that are swiftly becoming lost by its own work to standardize language
By Rossella Tercatin
Illustrative: People walk next to pictures of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Jerusalem, January 12, 2025 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
January 21, 2025, 4:19 pm
Israelis choose ‘hostages’ as Academy of the Hebrew Language’s word of 2024
Word ‘hatufim’ revealed to mark Hebrew Language Day, beating Hebrew words for ‘heroism,’ ‘approved for publication’ — which precedes IDF death announcements — by thousands of votes
By ToI Staff
Students at the Tel Aviv University campus for the Hebrew Language Olympics, on April 5, 2023. (courtesy)
April 10, 2024, 11:43 pm
‘Linguistic challenges and riddles’ at Hebrew Language Olympics
Some 3,700 youth participate in annual contest inaugurated by Tel Aviv University in 2021; after final round last weekend, winners to be announced at June awards ceremony
By Gavriel Fiske
Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi men in Jerusalem, c. 1900. (YIVO Institute for Jewish Research via JTA)
September 9, 2023, 10:57 am
NYC exhibit shows Israeli Hebrew didn’t kill Yiddish, it gave it a new nest to live in
‘Palestinian Yiddish: A Look at Yiddish in the Land of Israel Before 1948,’ opens this week, shows how the old language survived in the new Israel – sometimes hiding in plain sight
By Ghil‘ad Zuckermann
Illustrative: Students at Harlem Hebrew Academy charter school have Hebrew incorporated into all subjects save for English language arts. (Courtesy: Hebrew Public)
May 6, 2023, 4:13 pm
Harlem Hebrew, decade-old bilingual Manhattan school, to shutter next month
Decision to close weeks before summer break ‘difficult but necessary,’ says head of Hebrew-language charter schools network
By Jackie Hajdenberg
Police at the site of a sinkhole on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv on September 17, 2022. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
December 27, 2022, 2:23 pm
Hebrew Academy picks ‘sinkhole’ as its word of 2022
Selected by online voters, word narrowly beats out ‘governance’ and ‘hallucination’ to take the top spot
By Amy Spiro
Israelis attend the annual Hebrew Book Week, Rabin Square, Tel Aviv on June 12, 2019. (Flash90)
From the WebAugust 1, 2022, 10:30 pm
Israeli activists battle the deeply gendered roots of the Hebrew language
The New York Times reports on efforts by some to create gender-neutral options in Hebrew, while others push back — and the Academy of the Hebrew Language is caught in the middle
Illustrative: A Yeshiva University student wears a face mask on the grounds of the university in New York City, March 4, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images via JTA)
April 16, 2021, 4:06 am
Yeshiva University plans to end in-person Hebrew lessons indefinitely
Courses in subject will be asynchronous starting in the fall of 2022, turning a pandemic-induced move into a permanent measure
By Shira Hanau
In this Saturday, March 19, 2016 photo, Israeli actress Gal Gadot poses for photos during a press conference to promote the movie: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
October 15, 2020, 6:04 am
‘What am I, a goat?’ Watch Gal Gadot teach Hebrew slang
The Israeli ‘Wonder Woman’ star posts YouTube video explaining a wide variety of local expressions, from ‘cow, cow,’ to ‘third time, ice cream’
By ToI Staff
London University's School of Oriental and African Studies. (Google street view)
August 20, 2020, 10:51 am
Anatomy of a rumor: London U says Hebrew year abroad not nixed, despite reports
After online criticism over dorms on ‘occupied territory,’ Dr. Yair Wallach claps back at wagging tongues on both sides of the political divide, says language program will continue
By Jenni Frazer
Students in an eighth-grade Hebrew class at Alan B. Shepard Middle School in Deerfield, Illinois, write a Hebrew screenplay together, December 13, 2019. (Ben Sales/JTA)
December 24, 2019, 11:40 pm
Rare Hebrew classes in public schools on the rise in Chicago’s suburbs
Roughly half of the 1,400 US students studying the language outside of private institutions reside in the Windy City, which also houses 9 out of 22 academies offering the courses
By Ben Sales
Illustrative: Students at Harlem Hebrew Academy charter school have Hebrew incorporated into all subjects save for English language arts. (Courtesy: Hebrew Public)
December 24, 2019, 11:39 pm
Secular immersion schools could save Modern Hebrew programs in US universities
Charter schools such as Harlem Hebrew throw students of all backgrounds into the language. The challenge, teachers say, is to keep them studying for life
By Cathryn J. Prince
Children in the pre-K class play the Israeli card game 'Melech HaFelafel' on September 4, 2019. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)
October 23, 2019, 3:40 am
Not your Savta’s Hebrew school: Israelis in US create their own language program
Sabra parents in numerous American cities have started after-school courses focusing on Hebrew language and cultural connection, offering an alternative to synagogues
By Melanie Lidman
Lior Gross developed a nonbinary Hebrew system together with their professor Eyal Rivlin. (courtesy)
December 9, 2018, 5:48 am
In an increasingly nonbinary world, is gendered Hebrew willing to adapt?
While applauding the social impetus, Israelis are divided in opinions on an American-based initiative and question its grammatical integrity
By Renee Ghert-Zand
Load More
Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community
Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By joining you agree to the terms and conditions
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community
Only ToI Community members can comment below articles
Forgot your password? / Send me a login link
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering allows you to manage your newsletters and alerts and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
I forgot my password / Send me a sign in link
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.